Author: billkralovec

We landed at K.I. Sawyer International Airport (a former military base) just outside of Marquette, Michigan, Thursday evening around 9:30 PM local time. My Uncle Jack met us at the gate in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, and we made our way to the Days Inn hotel. The city is bustling this weekend for graduation and we met several parents on the flight. After settling into the hotel, my son Owen took us to the Michigan-based grocery chain called Meijer. He works there and gave us a quick tour of the online pickup area that he is assigned to. He knows every aisle like the back of his hand and is a master in shooting the bar code reader gun. 🙂 Meijer (pronounced Meijer’s in Michigander) has been really good to him. They give annual $5,000 scholarships to employees who are full-time students.

We started Friday at Third Street Bagel for Ocean and Nadia. They make delicious bagels and it is kind of a tradition for us when we visit Marquette. We spent most of the day helping Owen plan to move out of his house. We are renting a U-Haul truck on Monday to take his furniture and personal belongings to my childhood home in Caspian, about a 90-minute drive southwest of Marquette. We also met Owen’s roommates and his parents. They are all decent gentlemen, and I feel relieved they were a good influence on him. We met their parents, too, and are looking forward to the party Saturday night at his house following the ceremony. We attended his roommate Jack’s ceremony for Construction Manager majors at the Dominic Jacobetti Center. Graduates from that program received NMU hard hats instead of the traditional caps and gowns.

We switched hotels due to a booking error and set up at the Fairfield Inn & Suites located near Lake Superior. Definitely an upgrade from the Days Inn! I managed to work out yesterday, getting a sweaty power yoga workout, a 15-minute weight workout, and a walk along the beach. It snowed in the afternoon, yes, it is May 2, but that is the Upper Peninsula. It was “refreshing” and got me ready for going out to dinner with the family. My middle son Oliver drove up from Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he is studying at St. Norbert College. We met at the Black Rocks Brewery, where there was a live band. It was crowded, but we did have fun. Anytime all five of us are together, it is awesome. My brother Andy and his wife Chantal drove up from Chicago and also met us there. Marquette is a trendy university town, but the casualness of the Upper Peninsula still keeps it from becoming too uptight. We had a white fish dinner at The Vierling Tavern. A classic Marquette – Lake Superior restaurant.

I am traveling today to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to attend my son Owen’s graduation from Northern Michigan University. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a certification in Cyber Security. He graduated in four years (thanks!), a first in our family, and we are looking forward to seeing him and celebrating this special day with him. We are trying Qatar Airways for the first time and it is a new route for us between Tashkent and Marquette. It is a four-hour flight to Doha and then a 14+ hour flight to Chicago. We then fly north approximately 90 minutes on American to Marquette. It is a lot of flying for a short visit, but this is the expatriate life.

International airports in affluent countries are so much better designed and fitted than American airports. My other son Oliver’s birthday was yesterday (April 30) and so we bought him a PSG soccer jersey when we landed in Doha this morning. Qatar hosted the World Cup 2022 and so there were plenty of soccer stores in the airport. We have never been to Qatar (UAE and Bahrain yes) but I don’t count a country on my list unless we leave the grounds of the airport. (My daughter Ocean was looking like a baddie) – Ocean’s contribution to MY blog. I am writing this at hour 8 on our flight to Chicago. QA has free, fast internet on the plane. I am ambivalent – I can get work done and blog, but I used to love shutting off and diving into a book while flying. I am trying to do a bit of both on this flight.

It was a busy weekend with the Cyclothon and Scholarship Gala on Saturday, so it was a full day of work. On Sunday, I went for a bike ride after doing some yoga. The warm weather arrived in Tashkent. The city has a lot of bike paths and beautiful parks. Tashkenters take advantage of the green spaces. Above are some photos of the Park of the Oppression of Victims of the Great World Wars. I have a route that goes from the main Ankhor Canal pathway to this park.

It was a quiet few days in the house without our daughter Ocean. She competed this week at the Central Asian Federation of Athletics & Activities High School Volleyball Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Ocean is the captain of a very young team and they finished in fifth place. Our seniors do not play in the spring tournament because they are preparing for IB examinations in May. This puts us at a disadvantage when competing against the non-IB schools in the region. I picked her up from the airport after midnight last night. It was worth getting up because she was in a talkative mood upon her return and we had fun together at home until almost 2:00 AM. A rare late night for me! She is an excellent athlete and will probably play a big role in soccer, basketball, and volleyball next season, her last at TIS. We are hosting the volleyball tournament so our seniors will be able to participate. Above are some photos shared on the Telegram Channel from the tournament.

Saturday morning, I practiced my newly learned kayak paddling skills! Robin, Kim, and I went for a relaxed paddle on the Chirchiq River, near the Charvok Dam. It was a reconnaissance trip to see conditions for kayaking in the section of the river next to the dam. As you can see on the map below, we paddled under two bridges pretty far down the river and came back up towards the dam. We were stopped by a soldier in a lookout above the river as we approached the Soviet-era monument below the dam. No boats are allowed close to the dam for security reasons. The 168 meter-high dam was built in 1970 and captured the flow of three mountain rivers. Today the Charvak Reservoir is a place of recreation for many Uzbeks. One surprise as we approached the dam was the statue on the far right. I think it is Tork the Ugly, an Armenian diety known for his great strength, size, and ugly appearance. One of his tactics was to hurl huge boulders at enemies. In 1970, Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union and Armenia was one of the Soviet Socialist Republics. The dam builders probably had to move a lot of rock, hence the statue.

It was a refreshing paddle, and I hope to explore other waterways of Uzbekistan. I bought a roof rack for my car and learned how to secure a kayak.

The highlight for me at the resort we stayed at on Koh Samui was a small island just off the hotel beach. Mad Lang Island (Google Maps below) was about 400 meters off the coast, and during low tide, you could walk to it. Ocean and I paddled our kayaks over the island a couple of times. The beach was full of plastic garbage and with rocks and thick vegetation, it seemed to be impossible to explore the interior of the island. I finally climbed a large boulder that led to a trail on the backside of the rock. I followed the trail to the other side of the island, and it led to an abandoned Buddhist Shrine (below). The shrine is located on the highest part of the island and offers some beautiful views. Nāgas are associated with water deities and protect sailors and fishermen from storms, so it is appropriate to find this shrine on a small island in the Gulf of Thailand. The trail continued around the island coming back to beach. I am surprised that it is unmarked and not kept up by the resort. It would be a fun project to improve the trail, add directional signs and provide information at the shrine.

The statue depicts a seven-headed serpent protecting a reclining Buddha. In Buddhist theology, “Mucilinda” is a “nāga” (half-serpent/half-human divine being) King Mucalinda provided shelter to the Buddha from a storm by covering the Buddha’s head with his seven snake heads.

We had a fun day exploring the city of Bangkok. We started with a spectacular breakfast at the hotel. It was an amazing production, and we couldn’t believe they put this on daily for 500+ people. The clientele at the hotel was mostly Indian and Chinese, two large countries nearby. We walked over the BTS station, which was also the main ferry port. We took the classic boat (above) upriver to visit the Reclining Buddha, a giant statue in the Wat Pho Temple complex. It was crowded and extremely hot, and not that peaceful. I am really interested in Buddhism, not the religious aspects of ancient India and the far east, but the idea of slowing down your mind and accepting life as it comes. I am doing a bit of this through my yoga practice and it is helping me enjoy my life more and accept my aging.

We finally got tired of the heat, crowds, and odors of the city and spent the afternoon in the IconSiam Mall, across the river from the mall. I was surprised to see the large number of Japanese stores (ex, Nitori, the IKEA of Japan). I introduced Nadia to one of my favorite clothing stores, Jim Thompson. The American expatriate was an expert in Thai silks, and this company and tourist complex is his legacy.

Rarely do I need to update a blog post before I upload it, but with the 7.7 earthquake in neighboring Myanmar at 12:50 PM local time yesterday, I wanted to update everyone regarding our experience. Fortunately, we missed the first shaking and then the 6.2 aftershock because our Uzbekistan Airlines flight departed four hours earlier 08:30 AM. We were lucky to get out when we did. All trains and flights were cancelled for the day, and I can imagine the chaos that was caused at the airport and in hotels with the most international visitors (32.7 million annually). Because Bangkok lies on a flood plain with shifty soils, they are susceptible to earthquakes with epicenters outside of the city. One skyscraper under construction collapsed, and rooftop pools were spilling over. 32 people died in Thailand, with hundreds reported missing. We were staying at the Shangri-La Hotel and our room was on the 19th floor, so we probably would have felt it. We toured a temple the day before and spent the afternoon in the IconSiam shopping mall.

We had a relaxing evening in the hotel. Nadia and I worked out in the hotel’s gym and had a famous, couples massage at the spa. We then ordered room service and enjoyed the views of the Chao Phraya River from our room. I went for a short walk and took a few photos of the city blocks near the hotel.

The flight was uneventful, and we were fortunate to have many empty seats in the back of the plane. All three of us were able to sleep for most of the 6 hours. We rested at home yesterday and got used to the cooler temperatures.

I attend a 120-minute Complete Yoga Class at the Vikasa Yoga Center every morning. These are the first in-person classes I’ve taken and I want to improve my postures (asanas) and skills. I’ve already learned a few new positions and the assistant comes by and adjusts me body occasionally during the class. She said “I had a solid practice” for only practicing with an online class. The woman leading the class today was a striking, tall, Australian with great flexibility and strength, an inspiration for me! Yesterday’s class was also good with the added twist of instructor singing. I learned a seated frog pose. I think being a man with a higher center of gravity I couldn’t get as low as I could. It felt great for my back. Today I did a backward bow with my head still on the ground for the first time. I am not sure if I can get to look like the pictures below.

I’ve noticed that there are very few men that practice yoga. I always thought it was boring until I reached my mid-50s. Now I see the benefits of it and want to continue building my flexibility, balance, and strength. Thailand is a Buddhist country but yoga is Indian and I noticed a statue of Ganesha at the front of the yoga studio. He is the “remover of obstacles” so hopefully he can help me push through my tight body to become even more flexible and strong.

Going out for my yoga class every morning gives me a chance to see a bit of the island. I met the taxi driver Ai on my first day. She was telling me about her life. She works every day from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM driving a cab. Her husband also drives a taxi. They are here on Samui earning more money than in their home village. Ai’s daughter is living with her grandmother in the home village. She is looking forward to returning to her hometown next month for a festival. It must be tough to be away from your daughter. I feel fortunate that my job allows me to spend a lot of time with my kids.

Ocean, Nadia and I decided that we needed a bit of R&R and are spending the first week of Spring Break in Thailand. This is my fourth visit to Thailand, and it will be the first time I have seen the country outside of Bangkok. My previous visits were work-related and didn’t get much opportunity to be a tourist. We are staying on the island of Koh Samui (Koh means “island” in the Thai language). 

It was a rough first day of the holiday for me. I had a persistent headache for most of the day. I usually can rid myself of headaches by taking Advil and a nap. This one persisted. Ocean and Nadia were so sweet taking care of me and helping me through the airport. I slept for an hour while waiting for our flight and slept pretty well on the flight. I am writing this as we are about to land in Bangkok. The Uzbekistan Airways flight was comfortable. Ocean and I had window/aisle seats together and Nadia had a window/aisle to herself. It is a direct flight of approximately 5 hours and Bangkok is two hours ahead of Tashkent. 

Despite the headache, I did take Obi out for two walks. The weather was absolutely spectacular with the cherry and apricot trees in bloom, blue skies, and a cool breeze. To think we had snow just a couple of weeks ago seems so long ago with temperatures hitting 80F today. I also wrapped up a couple of issues at school, inspected the campus, and finished my packing. I am missing the NCAA Tournament games today which is disappointing but traveling with family is better. I think we all needed to get out of the city for a while. I am excited to see more of Thailand, and tropical weather, hone my yoga skills, and most importantly, relax and spend time with Ocean and Nadia. 

We made it to Samui by 10:30 and were on the beach before 12:00 noon on Friday!

Eva Dou, a Washington Post Technology Policy Reporter did an excellent job of researching and telling the history of Huawei. Many Chinese companies are coming into Tashkent, including Huawei and I was interested in learning more about the company. The story focuses on the founder, Ren Zhengfei. His father was a teacher and university professor siding with the Nationalists (losing side). He rose up through the military and when China opened to capitalism, he and his engineering friends developed telephone switches in the new economic zone of Shenzen. It was interesting reading about Chinese business practices that mirror the government. For example, periodically did a “mass-resignation ceremony” in which all employees wrote a summary of their work and then a written resignation. He would accept six of the 26 sales branch chiefs and turned over 30% of sales staff. These purges mirrored the Chinese Communist Party’s purges. Huawei made a lot of money in the sanctioned and downtrodden nations of the world which engineers sympathized with because of China’s economic troubles. It is incredible the amount of work the engineers and salespeople put in to make it a successful global company.

The company is lock step with the government and so the United States can’t allow their business to thrive in the USA and with American allies. I don’t own any Huawei products and I admire their organization for starting from nothing and building a multinational corporation. I would like to visit Shenzen and Shanghai someday. I’ve only been to Hong Kong and Macao, but not the southern mainland.

New Vocabulary

• caryatids – female sculpture forming a pillar
• Bouyei – the 1oth largest ethnic group in China; mostly farmers and business people southern China plains; 3.5 million people
• Gang of Four – Maoist political faction composed of 4 communist leaders; responsible for the disastrous Cultural Revolution (1966-76)
• guanxi – personal connections; how a lot of business gets done in China and it includes heavy rounds of drinking and lavish gifts

We had a nice long weekend in Tashkent due to the International Women’s Day bank holiday. It is a big deal in Eastern Europe due to the legacy of the Soviet’s promotion of women in the workforce. I think it was a good influence in Central Asia. Ocean and I got out on Monday afternoon to enjoy the spring weather for a bike ride along the Ankhor Canal. A little slice of heaven for me, spending time with her doing one of my favorite activities. Of course we had to make a stop at Maison de gout, a store near the canal that sells imported goods. Ocean picked up a bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and some instant Kraft Mac n’ Cheese.

Saturday evening, Nadia and I went out on a “double date” for dinner at one of her favorite restaurants in the city, Syrovanya (Cheese Factory—сыроварня), with Ocean and her boyfriend. We had a delightful dinner and parted ways afterward. They went out with friends while Nadia and I headed home to watch a movie. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday night.

My friend Aaron and I also had our weekly session at the Russian banya in town, The бани (The Baths). At the top of the hour, one of the attendants takes a fan and waves hot air on all of the guys in the sauna. You can see the schedule above the middle; every hour, a different essential oil is put over the wood to help good health. My favorite is mint (мята) in Russian. We made the 14:00 (garlic – чеснок) and 16:00 (пижма – Tansy) which is an invasive weed in Michigan, but is native to Europe and Asia. It has long been used for medicinal purposes. Research shows moving between extreme heat and extream cold is good for the body. As you can see in the photo above to the left, after the sauna, we jumped in the 13C and 18C water pools and tried to stay in for 5 minutes.

It was a great relaxing weekend and much needed recuperation and family time. Really looking forward to a two-week Spring Break!